Kurtley Beale said confusion will remain over tackles which merit a red card until there is consistency from referees. The Australia centre was speaking after the furore generated by Owen Farrell’s challenge on André Esterhuizen at the end of England’s victory over South Africa.
England’s co-captain went into the challenge with his right shoulder and Esterhuizen came to an abrupt halt. The Australian referee, Angus Gardner, reviewed the tackle, first to determine its height – it was just below the shoulders – and then to see whether the fly-half had, as the law requires, attempted to use his arms. He gave Farrell the benefit of the doubt and did not award a penalty that could have won South Africa Saturday’s Test at Twickenham.
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His decision divided opinion. Former players like Brian O’Driscoll, Lewis Moody and Tom Shanklin supported Gardner but many on social media felt the act merited a penalty at the very least, amid confusion over how referees interpret the laws.
There were also calls for Farrell to be cited but that sanction is reserved for offences deemed by a citing commissioner to be worthy of a red card and, because there had been no contact with Esterhuizen’s head and Farrell had not led with his head, the threshold was not met.
“I just reckon that you need consistency,” said Beale, who has arrived in Wales with the Australia squad to prepare for the Test against Wales on Saturday. “It is inconsistent at times: a couple of years ago it [Farrell’s challenge] is a red card, or a yellow or a penalty. You just want a level of consistency through the whole thing. Clarity will come with that.”
Farrell has gained a reputation for going into challenges shoulder first, although in Saturday’s incident he had been braced to wrap his arms around Esterhuizen, who was running across the field, but when the replacement three-quarter suddenly straightened, Farrell had to confront him head-on.
When England played Australia in the 2015 World Cup Farrell was sent to the sin-bin after 70 minutes for a shoulder-first challenge on Matt Giteau. The referee, Romain Poite, said he would just award a penalty against Farrell but the TV match official, Shaun Veldsman, told him: “He’s using his shoulder to tackle 12 gold without the ball.”
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Farrell may have been sent to the sin-bin even had Giteau been in possession because no-arms tackles were being clamped down on at the time but today the focus is on reducing the height of challenges to protect the head.
Which is why Danny Cipriani was sent off during Gloucester’s European Champions Cup match at Munster last month. As the centre Rory Scannell ran towards him, Cipriani stood upright and, rather than attempting a tackle, allowed his opponent to run into him. As Scannell’s head made contact with Cipriani’s right shoulder, the law demanded he be sent off.
Shanklin, the former Wales and Lions centre, believed that decision was wrong and also backed Gardner on Saturday, posting on Twitter: “There is enough of an attempt to wrap arms. Because the impact was so big and player forced backwards it’s hard to grab and wrap arms fully. Borderline tackle but still believe no pen, just a MASSIVE collision. We can’t take legal big hits out of the game. You’re allowed to have a physical edge.”
Referees are meeting this week in readiness for Saturday’s six Tests in Europe, with World Rugby keen to ensure consistency over high challenges. While there was general surprise Gardner did not award a penalty – which he had not when Thomas du Toit and RG Snyman tackled George Kruis shoulder first but just below head height – it supported his decision not to show a card of any colour.